La Buona Cucina Americana: Mexican Tortilla Soup with Chicken

It’s that time again. The wind is cooling Calabria, our long summer days have turned into 4:45 PM sunsets and fresh tomato salads are being replaced with warm, filling soups.

And for me that means dishing out my all-time favorite soup – Mexican Tortilla.

Long before I moved to southern Italy and started honing my culinary skills on helpless Italians, my mother bought me a book. Not just any book. A cookbook. And I love it. It was one of the few books that made it over on my first trip. It had a simple recipe for tortilla soup that I’ve slightly adapted and still use today.

Ingredients:
>> 2 cups of water
>> 1 cup chicken broth
>> 1/2 pound of skinless, boneless chicken cut into bite-size pieces
>> 1 11-ounce can of whole kernel corn, drained
>> 1 cup of salsa (you can use store-bought or homemade)
>> 3 cups broken tortilla chips
>> 1/2 cup shredded spicy cheese (either Monterrey Jack or Spicy Pecorino)

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine water, chicken broth and chicken.

2. Boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes.

3. Add corn and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the salsa and heat through.

5. Serve topped with broken chips and grated cheese.

In Italiano

Ingredienti:
>> 350 millilitri di acqua
>> 235 millilitri di brodo di pollo
>> 500 gr di pollo tagliato a strisce
>> 300 gr scatoletta di mais
>> un bicchiere di salsa, comprata o fatta in casa.
>> 650 gr di tortilla chips
>> 100 gr di formaggio piccante grattugiato

Direzione:

1. In una casseruola larga, mettere l’acqua, il brodo di pollo, ed il pollo.

2. Portare ad ebollizione poi ridurre la fiamma e far cuocere a fuoco lento, con il coperchio, per 10/12 minuti.

3. Aggiungere il mais e, togliendo il coperchio, far cuocere a fuoco lento per 5 minuti.

4. Aggiungere la salsa riscaldarla.

5. Serviere ricoperto di tortilla chips e formaggio grattugiato.

Buon appetito!